Electric guitars in common use must be connected into special amplifiers by wire. As such amplifiers usually require household AC current, they cannOt be readily taken to places where AC current is not available such as beaches, parks or roadside rest stops, for example. Even if a guitar amplifier could operate by battery power, it would be inconvenient to carry it to a beach or park as well as a portable radio (a radio is standard equipment for beach-goers). A guitar adapted to transmit over FM would reduce the need to carry special guitar amplifiers portable FM radios are generally more convenient to transport than guitar amps, and are, in many cases, installed in automobiles. Although some prior art guitars have built-in amplifiers and speakers, such as the guitar of U.S. Pat. No. 3,781,451, these are special devices as opposed to an add-on component which can be used with a favorite old guitar.
While the prior art provides cordless electrical guitar systems, there are problems associated with these designs which the present invention overcomes. For example, prior art devices such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,080,785; 3,085,460; 3,296,916; 3,743,751; 3,825,666 and 3,901,118 require a wire or inconveniently long antenna be attached either to the guitar or to the musician to act as an antenna for the transmitter. Instability is often a problem in these devices as the antenna, which is subjected to constant movement while in use, can be affected by external elements such as the musician's body, or other nearby objects of a conductive nature. Further, these external antennae are unsightly and can restrict or impede the musician's choreographic performance.
Another disadvantage of prior art wireless transmitter systems for guitars is that they usually require modification to a guitar, i.e. either the entire system, or a portion thereof must be screwed or taped onto the guitar, for example, generally becoming a rather permanent component of the guitar.
Some prior art wireless transmitter systems for guitars require a special receiver which must, itself, be plugged into a standard guitar amplifier. This, of course, does not solve the problem of the guitarist who wants to amplify his music at a park or beach where AC is not available.